Despite public outcry, the City of Irondale, Ala. unanimously approved and passed a one percent occupational tax during its Council Meeting back in May, which went into effect Aug. 1.
The decision came in an effort to remedy the city’s $1.6 million budget deficit, due in part the city losing a big chunk of the yearly tax revenue when Sam’s Club closed. But a lot of people aren’t happy about it, including Irondale’s teachers.
Which is why the Alabama Education Association (AEA) — statewide professional organization that represents public school employees in the state of — is now helping teachers in city fight back against the new occupational tax.
“Public education employees cannot afford anything else to come out of their pay checks and that’s just the bottom line,” Tracee Binion, Uniserve Director for District 28, told WVTM-13. She said the tax could cost some teachers as much as $500 a year, leaving Irondale teachers to be paid less than their Jefferson County counterparts, despite also being located in Jefferson County.
Teachers voice their disapproval
In conjunction with school going to into session, earlier of this month dozens of Irondale teachers went down to City Hall to voice their disapproval.
“We have many teachers..many of our child nutrition professionals couldn’t be here tonight and that is because they are working two jobs to be able to support themselves,” Dana Jacobson, the 2017 Alabama School Teacher of the Year, said according to WBRC. “There are some 25-year paraprofessionals that are bringing home less than $25,000 and that will take $250 out of their pay and when you think they could be living on this salary..that is a burden.”
The AEA intends to file a motion against the city in the next few weeks.
